"Alex Rodriguez has made more headlines this season, at least those not involving more injuries for him, for Cameron Diaz than he has for being the great baseball player he is paid more than anyone in history to be.

It is why, out of all the Yankees, October provides him the greatest opportunity to remind people of the way he once carried the team at this time of year, remind people of the player that he used to be, when he was supposed to be on his way to maybe being called the best player to ever play, before he started to look like an old 36 in baseball.

A-Rod's season starts right now, just because it really does seem sometimes as if the season the rest of the Yankees have played on their way to another title in the American League East went along quite nicely without him, at least once the Red Sox fell through a trap door marked "September." And please remember, we are talking here about a player who has so often seemed like the most compelling guy in the sport, whether you loved him or thought he was one of the biggest phonies on the planet."